Brief Overview:

• App/Website: West Virginia Workforce Website

• Target Audience: Unemployed individuals like Oliver, seeking resources, and opportunities for new employment through career services, job fairs, and employer events.

Client:

• Identity: Not specified, but presumably stakeholders or managers of the West Virginia Workforce Website.

• Needs: To improve user engagement and utility of their website, focusing on the "Events and Announcements" section to facilitate better user access to career-building opportunities.

User Role:

• Persona: Oliver, an out-of-work coal miner.

• Needs: Oliver seeks to utilize the website to access career services, file for unemployment, and gain awareness about upcoming job fairs and employer events to transition into a new job.

Problem:

• The Events and Announcements section of the website is deemed not user-friendly due to small fonts, infrequent visuals, and not being conspicuously visible, resulting in difficulty navigating and accessing pertinent information regarding job-related events and announcements.

Solution:

• The proposed redesign aims to rectify the aforementioned issues by enhancing the visibility and usability of the Events and Announcements section. This could be achieved by implementing user-friendly design elements such as legible fonts, impactful visuals, a clear site map, and an efficient navigation system. A calendar feature to facilitate easy addition of events to users’ personal calendars is also suggested.

Design Process:

1. Research Discovery:

• User Journey Insight: Derived from understanding Oliver's journey and pain points in using the website.

• Existing System Analysis: The existing information architecture and navigation systems were analyzed, identifying an absence of a clear sitemap and recognizing an opportunity to improve the homepage's content hierarchy.

• Mind Map Creation: A visual representation (mind map) was created to organize and delineate the envisioned information architecture and navigation paths.

2. Design:

• Low-Fidelity Prototype: Developed using Figma to present a tangible model of the envisioned redesign.

• Adherence to Design Principles: Ensured the application of the Gestalt principles and adequate usage of white space in the design, focusing on enhancing user interaction and visual appeal.

• Incorporation of User Insights: This involved making strategic design decisions based on user insights to ensure alignment with user needs and expectations.

3. Validation:

• Prototype Testing: Involves A/B testing on certain design elements to validate their efficacy and impact on user interaction.

• User Testing Plan: Encompasses conducting user interviews and having users interact with the prototype to gauge its usability and collect feedback for iterative improvement.

Additional Notes:

• Further details regarding the client, specific design choices, actual prototype testing data, and user feedback may need to be filled in or expanded upon to provide a comprehensive view of the entire project.

  Concepts and Development